Boiler grate



June 5, 1923.

C. C. FULGHUM BOILER GRATE Filed Feb. 21 1921 Patented June 5, 1923.,

CHARLES C. FULGHUM, 0F RICHIvIO'ND, INDIANA.

BOILER GRATE.

Application filed February 21, 1921. Serial No. 446,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. FULGHUM, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne, State ofIndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boiler Grates, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and comprehensive specificationand exposition, the same being such as will enable others familiar withthe art to manufacture and install the same.

The object of this particular invention, broadly speaking, is to providecertain new and useful improvements in grates for the boilers of heatingplants, the same being sim ple in character, strong and durable inconstruction, easily operated and controlled, positive and effective inaction, and a device which can be provided at a comparatively low price.

More specifically stated, my object is to provide improvements in grateswhereby the grate-bars can-be rotated only by the crank providedtherefor, and having means whereby when the crank is removed fromoperative position the grate bar will be locked in its proper normalposition, and at the same time the aperture in the front of the boilerfor the insertion of the crank stem will at all times be closed when thecrank is removed.

Other minor and subsidiary objects of the invention will suggestthemselves in the course of the following description, and that which isnew will be correlated in the appended claims.

As further explanation it may be well to state that this application isa companion to two others filed herewith, entitled respectively Boilerfor heating plants and Boilor magazine front.

The preferred means for carrying out my invention in a practical manneris shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an outsideelevation of a portion of a boiler front, taken in the locality of theouter ends of two grate bars showing one of the cover plates in closedposition and another in open position. Figure 2 is a side elevation,partly in section, taken in the line 22 of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a sideelevation, partly in section, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Figure 4is a perspective view of the forward end portion of one of the gratebars alone. Figure 5 is an inside face view of a portion of the boilerfront. And Figure 6 is an end view of the stem of the operating crank.

Similar indices denote like partsthroughout the several views. In orderthat the invention may be more fully understood and appreciated I willnow take up a description thereof in detail.

It should first be understood that a series of grate bars A are arrangedparallel and near to each other in the usual manner, and they arelocated immediately back of the boiler front or casing B, with theirrear ends rotatably supported in the usual manner, while their frontends are each rotatably supported in asegmenta-l or crescent bearing Cwhich latter extends back from the rear face of the front B as shown inFig. 5. A round aperture Dis formed through the front B di- 7 rectly inalinement with and coaxial with the forward'end .of the grate-bar Aand-at the center of its upper edge a notch E extends upward forming acontinuation of the opening D, as shown in Flgs. 1 and 5. p

Letter F denotes a. crank which-- has a.

slightly flattened stem portion G, and in- 1 tegral with and extendingat right-angles from one side of the stern G is the lug H.

Formed in the forward end of the gratebar A, coaxial therewith, is thecavity I which corresponds in shapewith, and which is adapted to receivetherein the stem G of the crank. Extending out from one side of thecavity I is the smaller cavity J which is adapted to receive snuglytherein the lug H, as shown in Fig. 3.

Located a short distance above the aperture D, in alinement with thenotch E, is the hanger K which is secured to the face of the casing B bymeans of the bolts L.

Letter M denotes a cover-plate which is adapted to contact flat with theface of the front B and close the aperture D and the notch E, as in Fig.2. Said plate has two pivots at its upper portion which are rotatablymounted by the prongs of the hanger K, as shown, whereby the plate Mwill al-' ways close by gravity when it is released, being adapted to beturned, as in Fig. 3, to expose the aperture D.

A lug N is formed integral with the rear face of the plate M, the samebeing of such size as to enter through the notch E and fill the cavityJ, or nearly so, as shown in Fig. 2.

Operation: From the above it will now be seen that if the plate M beturned up, as at the right in Fig. 1, that the stem G of the crank F maythen be inserted in the cavity I, with the lug H at the same timeentering the cavity J. Now by turning the crank F the grate-bar A willbe rotated. After the above operation is complete then the crank F maybe removed, but only by bringing the lug H to position directly up wardwhereby it will register with the notch E, thereby insuring that thecrank be removed only when the grate-bar is in its normal operativeposition. Also as soon as the crank is removed the plate M willimmediately turn downward by gravity thereby causing the lug N to enterthe cavity J and thereby absolutely locking the gratebar againstrotation and also closing the apertures D and E, thereby accomplishingin a simple and effective manner the objects of this invention. I desirethat it be understood that various changes may be made in the severaldetails of construction herein set forth without departing from thespirit of my invention and Without sacrificing any of the advantagesthereof which are new and useful.

Having now fully shown and described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Improvements in boiler grates, comprising in combination with aboiler casing having an aperture therethrough a rotatable grate barhaving a non-circular aper ture formed in its end and registering withsaid aperture in the casing; a crank having a stem portion adapted to beinserted through said aperture in the casing and enter the aperture inthe end of said grate bar, a cover plate hinged to said casing and abovesaid aperture and adapted to close by gravity to cover said aperture inthe casing when said stem is removed, a lug carried by said cover plateand adapted to enter said aperture in said grate bar to lock the gratebar against rotation when said crank is removed.

2. Improvements in grates, comprising a rotatable grate bar having acavity in 'its end with a smaller cavity extending out from the firstmentioned cavity, a boiler casing covering said end of the grate bar andhaving an aperture therethrough in alinement with said cavities in thegrate bar, a crank, a stem integral with said crank and adapted toproject through said aperture in the casing and enter the first 111811.tioned cavity in the grate bar, a lug integral with said stem andadapted to enter said smaller cavity in the grate bar, a hanger securedto the face of the casing and above said aperture therein, a platehinged to said hanger and adapted to cover said aperture in the casing,and a lug carried by said plate and adapted to enter the said smallercavity in the grate bar whereby the grate bar may be locked againstrotation.

In' testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES C. F ULGHUM.

Witnesses:

Rom". W. RANDLE, R. E. HANDLE.

